Engine construction



Aug. 7, 1928. 1,679,463

C. E. BONNER ENGINE CONSTRUCTION Original Filed Oct. 28. 1922 Patented Aug. 7, 1928 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE E. BONNER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR- TO BONNER-CHARTER MOTOR COMPANY, OF DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

ENGINE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed October 28, 1922, Serial No. 597,468. Renewed June 23, 1928.

This invention relates to a new and improved engine construction and more specifically to the construction of engines of the sleeve valve type.

In sleeve valve engines, it is necessary to have the valve sleeve fit the cylinder surfaces closely in order to minimize the escape of gas between the cylinder and sleeve. Since the sleeve is moved relative to the cylinder, the fit between the two parts must not be so close as to cause such friction as to require an excessive amount of power for the movement of the sleeve.

In an engine of the sleeve valve type hav ing a sleeve interposed between inner and outer fixed cylinder members, the gas may escape through the inner cylinder port and down between the sleeve and inner cylinder, or it may escape by working through the port in the sleeve and down between the sleeve and the outer cylinder member. It may also escape by working up between the inner cylinder and sleeve, over the top of the sleeve and down between the sleeve and outer cylinder member. Hence, in order to fully seal the engine, all of these paths should be closed off.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an engine construction comprising a sleeve valve and associated cylinder surfaces so constructed as to minimize passage of gas between the surfaces.

It isv a further object to provide a construction of this character in which the flow of gas is interrupted by interfitting steps upon the sleeve and cylinder members.

It is an additional object to provide an engine construction in which these steps are located upon opposite sides of the port openings and upon both the inner and outer faces of the sleeve valve and the adjacent faces of the cylinder members.

Other and further objects will appear as .the description proceeds.

I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in the accompanying drawings, the one figure of which is a vertical section through a single cylinder sleeve valve engine.

The type of engine shown is disclosed in my prior application, Serial No. 465,176, filed April 28, 1921. This type of engine has been shown for the purpose of illustration only and obviously my invention is applicable to multiple cylinder engines and to other types of sleeve valve engines.

The engine as shown comprises the crank case 2 the cylinder block 3, crank shaft 4, fly-wheel 5, piston rod 6, piston 7 and cylinder head 8. The inner cylinder'member 9 is provided with the flange'lO which seats in a recess 11 in the cylinder block 3. The registering ports 12 and 13 are formed in the outer and inner cylinder members, respectively. The sleeve valve 14 is fitted be tween the inner and outer cylinder members and its lower edge rests upon the bearing ring 15. The lower portion of the sleeve valve 14: is cut away to form the teeth 16. These teeth are engaged b a worm-gear carried by shaft 17 and this s aft also carries the gear-wheel 18 by which the shaft is driven from the gear-wheel 19 upon the crank shaft 4:. The sleeve valve is thus rotated during the operation of the motor and serves to control the cylinder ports.

The contacting faces of the inner cylin' der member9 and sleeve valve 14 are provided with the interfitting steps 20. Similarly, the outer face of the sleeve valve member and the contacting face of the outer cylinder member are provided with interfitting steps 21. As shown in the drawings, these steps are located both aboveand below the port openings 12 and 13 and the coacting port 22 in the sleeve valve. Since the sleeve valve rotates in the engine shown these circumferential steps are in the line of movement of the sleeve.

These steps may be of varying depth but I have found that steps of from to of an inch work satisfactorily in practice. The steps may be placed at any desired distance from the edge of the ports but I have found that from to of an inch is a satisfactory distance. I have shown the steps upon the inner and outer surfaces of the sleeve valve as located in the same horizontal plane, but obviously this relation may be varied at will. The step surfaces are preferably in intimate contact, but this is not essential as the right angles andbounding walls of the steps serve as dams stopping the gas flow even without intimate contact between the step faces.

While one preferred location and relation of steps has been shown by way of illustration upon one specific engine construction,

my invention is capable of modification to adapt it to various structures within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cylinder construction adapted for use with fluid under pressure, a fixed cylinder member having ports therein and having an inner cylindrical surface, a second cylinder removable from the fixed cylinder and having" an exterior cylindrical surface and ports therein, a sleeve valve adapted to be rotated between said cylinders to control said ports, circumferential steps on the outside and inside of said valve member, cooperatingsteps on said other members to entirely seal said members from leakage, said steps being located upon opposite sides of the port.

I 2. In an internal combustion motor, an outer fixed cylinder having a cylindrical inner face, an inner fixed cylinder member having a cylindrical outer face, aligned ports in said members, a tubular sleeve valve having cylindrical faces adapted to closely fit and rotate between said members to control the port openings and sealing means to ti ghtly seal said valve to said cylinders comprising circumferential steps on the inner and outer side of said valve member and above and below the ports therein, cooperating steps on said cylinders, and a flange on said inner cylinder overlapping the valve member and the outer cylinder to keep the steps in pressure tight relation.

3. In an internal combustion engine, an outer fixed cylinder member, an inner fixed and detachable cylinder member, aligned ports in said members, a sleeve valve titted between said members and adapted to be rotated relative to the cylinder members to control the port openin", shallow, angular circumferential steps on the inside and outside of said valve member and above and below the ports therein, cooperating steps on said inner and outer cylinder members and a flange on the top of said inner members to keep the steps in conta: t.

Signed at New York, New York, this 24th day of October, 1922.

CLARENCE E. BONNER. 

